Uncontrollable cough an itchy throat? Here’s a few homemade remedies that might do the trick.

The Cold & Flu fairy came to see me about a week ago and brought an amazing gift witch resulted in me being sick for the past week! What started like just a little bug that I thought was going to last a day, ended up becoming an uncontrollable cough that wakes me up at night and bothers me in my daily routine. I can even say that I started a resistance to the DayQuill and NyQuill because even when taking those meds, my dry and itchy throat is still there and there is not much I can do….

…or is there?

Taking a ton of medication is not my thing. I will, if it’s absolutely necessary, but even taking an Advil or anything of the sort when I have a headache annoys me. I’m all about simple and natural remedies but I do understand that real chemicals are sometimes required. Although today, I’m gonna be your guinea pig and test out a few hopefully delicious homemade remedies. I hope you’ll find this post entertaining, interesting and informative.

Remedy 1 – Honey, Lemon, Cinnamon and Cloves tea.

This is actually the first thing that worked the best for my dry cough around the forth and fifth day of sickness. I always keep a cup close to me and drink it when I need it. The benefit effects of honey, cinnamon, cloves and lemon for the flu symptoms have been proven many times, so obviously this has to work. You can buy a “all prepared” version at the pharmacy but personally, I find they always taste weird so instead I created my own. Here’s my recipe… in a big tall cup I add:

2 big cloves

1 tablespoon of non pasteurized honey

1 stick of cinnamon, slightly scratch with a knife or a fork

1 tablespoon of lemon juice (not from concentrate)

2 cups of hot water hot water

Remedy 2 – My homemade Spiced tea blend.

For the past few weeks, this homemade blend has replaced my daily soy latte chai tea. It’s DELICIOUS and i’m addicted to it… In bonus, it help relieve some symptoms of the cold and flu! In the early days of my sickness, this was my saver… Just make sure to add a bit of honey in your cup to help bring out all the delicious and spicy flavors while suiting your throat.

1 tablespoon of rooibos tea

1/2 teaspoon of Schezuan peppercorns, coarsely crushed

1 teaspoon of black peppercorns, coarsely crushed

1 teaspoon of whole cloves, coarsely crushed

2 cinnamon sticks, coarsely crushed

1 teaspoon of dried sprearmint leaves

1/2 teaspoon of whole green cardamom pods, coarsely crushed

1 teaspoon of chamomile flowers

Remedy 3 – The Grog

My twist of my family’s recipe (we actually pronounced it “groc” in my childhood). I have vivid memories of my sister and I sitting on the side of the window, in our pajamas, looking at the snow outside while drinking our grog. I think the first recipe comes from my mom’s boyfriend’s family and was made with cane juice rum. You can google “grog recipes” online and see other versions you might enjoy better. Here’s mine:

2 slices of fresh lemon, slightly crushed

1 tablespoon of honey

2 to 4 ounces of cane juice rum or any hard 40% or more alcohol like dark rum, whiskey etc…

4 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

2 cardamom pods

hot water

If you’re using the cane juice rum, be ready.. it doesn’t taste great AT ALL but it’s going to knock you down till you sleep like a baby or at least relax you and relieve your symptoms.

Remedy 4 – Chicken and miso stock

If you are vegetarian or vegan, a simple miso stock will help you fight a flu or cold and help you build a strong immune system. The Japanese are often starting their day with a bowl or this warm broth. Here in America, we say that “one apple away keeps the doctor away”… over there it’s pretty much the same about the miso.

Always start both stocks by heating for a few minutes the chosen onions in a bit of oil. Then add all the liquid and the miso right at the end. Dissolve the miso paste and serve. Enjoy!

Remedy 5 – The busy bee hot shooter

I didn’t know how to call this quick and easy drink that you can sip while getting for work in the morning. I’ve also double and tripled this recipe to make it a bigger drink that I can sip before going to bed. It taste AMAZING (a little bit it hot apple cider actually) and it help the cough and itchy thoat if you’re drinking it slowly.

Comments

do not know at all when this one was posted (anyways I hope you feel better right now). I tend to know well how the symptoms of your flu are since I had the same last a few months ago, (for the record I live in the south half of the planet so the seasons are inverted, I mean when summer over there, here is winter and so on),
haven’t you tried something very simple, sometimes it help, a big cup of hot coffee with all the sugar you may want or a cup of bitter chocolate and after finished a long, long nap, believe me, helps big time

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Ariel. French Canadian, digital nomad and creative soul in constant evolution. Mostly extroverted and a little introverted too. Awkward at times yet pretty joyful and easy going most of times.
Through my wanders & culinary discoveries I hope to become a better cook and a better person. Follow my delicious adventures and let's share a piece of time together.

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